This year’s Service Learning program officially kicks off with an orientation assembly on September 26, but there’s still time for juniors and seniors to apply to some faculty-led projects.
“Service is a core value of our community, and our program encourages students to consider their place in the greater community and challenges them to be positive agents of change,” said Mindy Aguirre, Assistant Director for Inclusion and Outreach at the Sage Center.
After a brief hiatus, teachers Ms. Dear and Dr. Ishii are bringing back Math Field Day in Spring 2018. Middle schools in Orange County are invited to compete as a school team in various categories including reasoning, engineering, logic and algebraic skills. The service learning group needs math enthusiasts to help in all facets of planning and execution of this all day event. There is no placement exam to participate; any current juniors and seniors beyond Algebra II can apply to join.
New this year is the Oral History Project, led by Ms. Ball and Mr. Schumacher. This project is dedicated to exploring and preserving the unique experiences and histories of individuals from all walks of life. Potential goals for the year will include collaboration with established history associations such as the Shoah Foundation at USC, specific research and interviews with selected individuals and/or a potential panel discussion at Sage Hill.
For students interested in publications, Mrs. Alvarez is heading up the Yearbooks for Youth program. During the past few years, students from the Sage Hill publications staff have worked with several partner schools to create a yearbook. More applications are needed this year to continue this fun project
To see a list of the faculty-led projects that are still open for applications this year, and to apply to one,
please click here.
Applications are due Tuesday, September 5, and applying to one of these projects is optional.
Of course, there’s more to Service Learning than faculty-led projects.
Many seniors have already started work on independent service projects and will continue those and blog about their progress throughout the year.
In the early part of the year, juniors without a faculty-led project will visit a few local sites, including a food bank and Rancho Soñado, an environmental education facility located in the Santa Ana Mountains, to learn about various community needs and social issues.
Sophomores will spend the year running literacy workshops for fourth graders at Edward B. Cole Academy, El Sol Academy and Scholarship Prep in Santa Ana.
In an introduction to Sage Hill’s four-year Service Learning program, freshmen students partner with third graders from local elementary schools on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) projects. Their service days will include a beach cleanup and a year-end celebration at the beach flying kites with their younger mentees.